Welcome Home Israel Travelers

Last Monday morning my phone rang before 8am which I figured was bad news. Imagine my delight when I heard many teenage voices yelling “Hi” into the telephone. It was our Achshav (9th grade leadership program with Beth El) students calling from Israel to say hello and tell me how terrific their trip had been. I told them that I was at the stove making pancakes for them back in Pikesville and couldn’t wait to welcome them home on Friday. They sounded happy, elated really, and I was thrilled to hear about their fabulous moreh derekh (tour guide) how they said Mah Tovu that morning overlooking the fields of Moab (just as it is described in the book of Numbers) and were headed to the Bedouin tent for dinner and camel rides.

Take a look at some of the kids’ email updates in which they wrote a sentence or two to tell their parents what they were seeing and enjoying

“I am having such an amazing time already. We have done some awesome things in Jerusalem and I can’t wait to do even more the rest of the trip. P.S. I love Israel. “

Now they are back in their other home, in time to celebrate Shabbat here in Baltimore. Their bus pulled into the parking lot at Chizuk Amuno and they rushed into their parents’ arms for welcome back hugs and kisses. They gushed about their amazing trip and there was no doubt that they were transformed by their Israel experience.

A big thank you to their leaders Rabbi Stuart Seltzer, Rabbi Faith Cantor, and Morah Erica Allen who helped them have an extraordinary Israel experience and will continue to study with them for the rest of the year.